1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an optical recording/reproducing apparatus, and more particularly to an optical pick-up feeding device which can smoothly and steadily move an optical pick-up along a radial direction of an optical disc.
2. Description of Related Art
A Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) such as an optical disc can record or reproduce information in the form of electronic data to or from concentric tracks of the optical disc. The optical disc is loaded on a turntable by a disc loading device, and is then rotated by a rotating device. During rotation, an optical pick-up device travels along a radial direction of the optical disc and projects a laser beam onto a track of the disc. The information is thus recorded or reproduced to or from the optical disc.
A typical optical pick-up feeding device for feeding an optical pick-up is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,445,673. The optical pick-up feeding device comprises a bracket, with an opening being defined in a center of the bracket. A pair of guide shafts are mounted at opposite sides of the opening respectively. A carrier supporting an optical pick-up is movably mounted on the guide shafts. A stepping motor is mounted on the bracket. The stepping motor has a worm screw, which is parallel with the guide shafts. The stepping motor drives the worm screw, which causes the carrier to move along the guide shafts. The optical pick-up can thus direct its laser beam to a correct track of an optical disc.
The carrier needs to move fast, in order to carry the optical pick-up to a position where the laser beam can search for and aim on a particular track according to a command input from a user. When the carrier moves to an inmost track or an outmost track, the carrier maybe collide with other parts of the optical pick-up feeding device such as a wall bounding the opening or an opposite spindle motor. The optical pick-up is a highly precise device, and even a slight collision can hinder the laser beam from finding the correct track. This typically leads to delays in receiving the information from the optical disc.